Surprise
by makesometime
Summary: She doesn't know who she's more pissed off at... Post-ep for 1x08, Proof.


She doesn't know who she's more pissed off at - Jim, for not trying harder to get Nathaniel back here to grab some kind of backup, Nathaniel for staying OTG overnight alone without so much as a by your leave, or herself. For even being _surprised_.

#

When he strolls back towards the gate the next evening she's waiting for him almost before the call goes out from the lookout tower. She stands directly in the middle of the entrance as the logs ascend to allow him inside, scrutinising his appearance to check if he needs any medical attention. He knows she's doing it, if the little smirk he's wearing while watching her is any indication.

She wants to rail at him for his stupidity, to smack him around the back of the head hard enough for him to see stars. But she wouldn't dare do so even if they weren't out in front of the entire colony. That doesn't stop her fantasising about it as he ambles towards her slowly.

"Wash." He says, and he looks for all the world to be _more_ relaxed after an impromptu night in the jungle than when he left with Jim two days previous.

"Sir." She responds with a curt nod. "Where's the fish?"

He laughs, clapping her on the shoulder as he passes.

"No, seriously. I was looking forward to something edible in the commissary for once." She continues, walking beside him to the command building.

"Sorry to disappoint, Wash. Next time you'll have to come along, make sure we catch something."

She smiles at the memory his words evoke - he did take her with him once, not long after they got here and he had discovered his favourite spot. But that was back before she became his second and started rarely leaving the colony by his side. She was damn good at it though, and bets she still would be.

They walk up the stairs to his office in silence and only once the doors are shut behind them does he allow the mask to drop.

"How's Curran?" She asks, an attempt to stop him retreating into himself.

"Better, now." He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Uneaten, at least."

"Did he take you up on your offer?" She asks, and the look on his face is enough to make her grin. She rarely ever gets these moments, of saying something he's not expecting. Catching him off guard is always a sweet moment. "What?" She asks, cheekily.

"How…?" He asks, then shakes his head. He chuckles. "Of course. Why am I surprised?"

Both of them know why he shouldn't be - he chose her, trained her, turned her into the soldier she is today. She thinks like him, acts like him, can anticipate his next move after years of working side by side. Of course given the chance he'd use Curran to his own advantage - and she would do the same. Instead of saying this she shrugs, moving over to where he stands at his desk. "Oh I don't know sir, I'm full of surprises."

He grins at her. It's not true, not anymore. Not after all they've been through together. But the moments where she does say something he doesn't anticipate are some of his favourites.

"That you are, Wash. That you are." He settles for as he takes a seat, wearily sinking into the support as his bag drops to the ground. "Does Shannon know?"

Wash shakes her head. "Didn't know if you'd want him to. I played along with his assumptions."

She watches as he turns quiet for a time, thinking deeply over the decisions he's had to make to reach this point. He sighs, extending his legs and stretching back. "We'll have to wait and see what he does. The kid's survival instincts are shot, if he makes it to their camp it'll be a miracle. But… Mira will jump at the chance to have a defector in her midst."

She nods. "Yes sir."

He looks back up at her, breaking out of his contemplations. "You should go get some rest, Wash."

She shouldn't leave without a full debrief, especially not without telling him about Maddy Shannon and Ken Horton and about the break-in. But he's clearly not in the right frame of mind right now and filling him in on something they don't even have a clear answer for yet would be worse than useless. It's dark out and she _is_ tired (running the colony in his absence does tend to do that to her) so getting home a little early would be nice, for once.

He senses her hesitation. "Anything I should know about?"

"It can wait until tomorrow." She says, and it's true - if he does discover anything about what occurred when he was away before they next speak, he will know she was only attempting to save him any immediate concern given the lateness of the day. It's her small attempt to continue shouldering the burden for a while.

He believes her instantly, his face shows no worry at her words. "Okay then. Debrief tomorrow morning, after dawn patrol?"

"See you then, sir." She replies, happy to know she'll have his company again after two days alone.

#

As she makes her way back to her quarters she thinks about Curran, out in the jungle with nothing but his wits to survive on. He made it this far because of her and Nathaniel's training, and he now has the chance to be useful as a result. She's not entirely sure whether to be pleased about this fact or not, whether she should be _proud_ that she's responsible for the survival of a murderer who at the end of the day holds enough bitterness and spite inside to turn on them still.

Her worry is intensified by Nathaniel's apparent lack of certainty in the matter - she's so used to him having all the answers that being on a level footing with him for once throws her a bit. She can't shake the feeling that very soon everything is going to come to a head and the fact that they're depending on _Curran_ to give them the edge makes her stomach turn.

Despite all this, she is confident of one thing. If the Sixers are stupid enough to return to Terra Nova, Nathaniel Taylor will be ready.

And she will be right by his side.


End file.
